DISTRIBUTION OF BONE QUALITY IN PATIENTS RECEIVING ENDOSSEOUS DENTAL IMPLANTS

Knowledge of the distribution of bone quality in the various jaw regio ns assists the clinician in dental implant treatment planning, Bone qu ality was assessed with radiographs and tactile sensation for 2,839 im plants at the time of placement into four anatomic regions of the jaw, The Lekholm-Zarb classification system was used, Overall, bone qualit y types 1 and 4 were found much less frequently than types 2 and 3, Al though variations in density existed in each region, quality 2 bone do minated the mandible, and quality 3 bone was more prevalent in the max illa. For both anterior and posterior jaw regions, types 2 and 3 bone predominated. The anterior mandible had the densest bone, followed by the posterior mandible, anterior maxilla, and posterior maxilla.